How to Think Logically

When you see the green expert checkmark on a wikiHow article, you can trust that the article was co-authored by a qualified expert.

This particular article was co-authored by Paul Chernyak, LPC. Paul Chernyak is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Chicago. He graduated from the American School of Professional Psychology in 2011.

The authors of this article cited 23 references, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Do you ever wish you had the ability to solve problems efficiently and easily? If so, you may want to improve your thinking patterns in order to be more logical. Keeping your brain sharp is important as your brain has the power to rewire itself throughout your whole life in a process called neuroplasticity. From engaging in mental exercises, recognizing irrational thoughts, and making lifestyle changes there are many ways to work on thinking more logically.

Test your recall. Your brain, like any other body part, improves with exercise. A great way to give your brain a workout is to test your recall. Throughout the day, see how many details of a given moment, list, or task you can remember.

Try to memorize small things each day. Write a grocery list and commit it to memory. Memorize a small passage from a poem or book. Wait an hour and see how much you can recall of what you've committed to memory.[1]

Draw a map from memory. Sketch a map going from your home to work, a store, a friend's house, or another place you frequently visit.[2]

Notice the little details. Making a conscious effort to notice seemingly irrelevant things can be a huge tool to help you become more logical. Do you notice the new paper cut on your friend's hand? Do you count the steps in your school or college? Do you look for spelling mistakes in texts? If the answer is no, now would be a great time to start. The more you practice, the healthier your mind will be. Over time, you'll become a more critical thinker.[3]

Do crossword puzzles. The benefit of crossword puzzles on the mind is well documented. Crossword puzzles force you to push your brain slightly beyond its capabilities, which causes the regrowth of brain neurons. This increases your overall brain power and can promote more sound, logical thinking. Pick up a crossword puzzle book from a local bookstore or do your local newspaper's crossword each morning.[4]

Learn a new talent. Learning new abilities requires a lot of logical thinking. From devising strategies that help you learn to undertake challenging tasks, you use logic and strategy to acquire new skills. Try taking up some of the following activities to boost your logical thinking skills:[5]

Socialize. Learning from others is a form of mental exercise. Social connections and friendships nourish the brain and push people to strive to better understand themselves and the world around them. Spend time with close friends and family members on a regular basis. Attend social events and take this as an opportunity to meet new people. This can be difficult if you're a shy or introverted person, but pushing yourself to take risks socially can actually improve your ability to think logically.[6]

Change up your routine. Novelty helps the brain stay sharp as well as increase your memory. Try taking a different route to work than usual or cooking a new type of food for dinner than you typically would. Experiencing new things helps the brain stay active, which can help you become a more logical thinker.[7]

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Score0 / 0

Method 1 Quiz

What technique can help you to become a more critical thinker?

Notice the little details.

Correct! Noticing the seemingly insignificant details, like how many columns are on a house or how many stickers are on the wall, can help to improve your memory and critical thinking. This is a huge step to improving your logical thinking. Read on for another quiz question.

Learn to play an instrument.

Close! Learning to play an instrument, or picking up any other type of creative hobby or interest, can increase your ability to think logically. Still, there are specific steps to take to increase your critical thinking skill. Try another answer...

Chat with friends.

Almost! There are many benefits to socializing. It increases our ability to understand the world around us. Social risks can help improve our ability to think logically, but not critically. Choose another answer!

Take a different route to work.

Try again! Changing up the routine can help to increase your memory, which feeds into thinking logically. Still, it won't necessarily improve your critical thinking skills. Pick another answer!

Recognize how you catastrophize. Many people, especially when in high-stress scenarios, tend to catastrophize. That is, they assume the worst possible outcome for a given event. Try to recognize when you are catastrophizing a moment.

Catastrophizing takes on many forms. Say, for example, your boss sent you an email about contributing more during work meetings. If you're prone to catastrophizing, you might take this to mean your job is in jeopardy, your boss thinks you're a poor worker, you'll end up fired and unemployable, and your friends and family members will all think less of you. If you catch yourself snowballing like this, take a deep breath and try to think logically. In this example, you could think to yourself, "It's my boss's job to give me constructive feedback. She just wants to push me to perform my best and everyone gets criticism on occasion. It's a normal part of life."[8]

Minimizing is a form of catastrophizing where you ignore your successes and good qualities and do not see the negatives in other people's lives. You may think some people have it all, are flawless and successful, and then when you realize they are flawed in some manner you write them off. You might also do this for yourself - you'll think you're the most successful person in the world then, after a small setback, see yourself as a massive failure. Try to recognize these thinking patterns as flawed and recognize the fact everyone is made of both good and bad qualities.[9]

Stay away from self-aggrandizing thoughts. Having an unrealistic sense of self-importance is just as bad as catastrophizing. If you think of yourself as the most important person in the office or the most talented student in a class, you're probably not thinking clearly.

Everyone contributes an important role to a company, school, organization, and field. A sense of grandiosity is not only off-putting but it can actually cause you to have setbacks at work and life. A sense of self-awareness is important to regulate how you interact with others. Try to combat feelings of grandiosity by reminding yourself that while it's important to feel good about yourself you need to acknowledge the hard work and contributions of others as well.[10]

Personalization is a form of self-aggrandizing where you think events that have little to do with you are somehow caused by your presence. This can be for better or for worse. If a co-worker is talking to an attractive person in the office, you may assume he or she is trying to make you jealous. If the same co-worker can't make it to your birthday party, you may assume he or she harbors a secret grudge against you when in fact he or she may have simply been busy. If you find yourself personalizing, try to remember that other people's lives are as hectic as yours. They likely have little time to make decisions with regards to you.[11]

Be aware of magical thinking. Magical thinking is not just for children. Adults sometimes engage in superstitious thought patterns as well, particularly in response to a traumatic event. People believe engaging in some ritual, like wishing or thinking positive thoughts, can have an impact on a situation. Try to remember that, while it's painful to acknowledge, there are many situations over which we have little or no control.[12]

This type of thinking is often causes people to not take responsibility for their actions. If you have a problem, make sure to acknowledge and accept it, then find a way to correct or learn from it.

Watch for logical leaps. Logical leaps are leaps in judgment, where you make assumptions about people or situations that are not based in reality. People make logical leaps all the time without realizing it.

For example, if a cashier is rude to you, you may assume, "I bet she doesn't like me because of my appearance, weight, attire, etc." when in reality you have no idea what another person is thinking.[13]

People also tend to assume someone will naturally know what they're thinking, which can lead to confusion. For example, you may assume your roommate knows you want him to let your dog out as you'll be home late, but if you do not express this he may not realize it. Try to be conscious of logical leaps in your day-to-day life and catch yourself making them.[14]

Recognize "all or nothing" judgments. All or nothing judgments are a common form of irrational thought patterns. People are unable to see the gray in situations and see situations, people, and outcomes as either entirely positive or entirely negative.[15]

You might, for example, feel like you're a complete failure if you misspelled one word in an e-mail without acknowledging the fact your message was conveyed successfully and no one commented on the error. Make an effort to accept that most things in life are neither entirely positive or negative.

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Score0 / 0

Method 2 Quiz

Personalization occurs when:

You assume the worst possible outcome for a given event.

Nope! When you assume the absolute worst, you are actually engaging in catastrophizing. Your thoughts often snowball after a single comment or even a look. You can combat this type of negative thinking with logic and distance. Reframe the situation to better reflect what is going on, not the events that might occur. Guess again!

You think events are simply caused by your presence.

Correct! Personalization is actually a form of self-aggrandizing. It takes place when you believe that someone's behavior or actions occur because of your presence, even though you had nothing to do with the situation. You can combat this by reminding yourself that others leaving busy, hectic lives and that your influence has limits. Read on for another quiz question.

You engage in superstitious thought patterns.

Try again! Believing in wishes, superstitions and patterns is actually a form of magical thinking. For many, it is a coping mechanism and helps to return or provide the control that a person feels they have lost, particularly after a traumatic event. A little of this can be okay, but don't allow it to absolve you of responsibility for your actions. Try another answer...

You assume something that is not based in reality.

Not quite! When you make assumptions about people or thoughts, you are engaging in a logical leap. We make logical leaps all the time, often without realizing it. We assume something that is not based on real life or that someone can simply read our minds. Make an effort to catch yourself before believing logical leaps. Pick another answer!

Eat brain food. The food you consume can have a profound affect on your brain power. Strive for a healthy diet, rich in brain food. A Mediterranean diet can increase your brainpower. This is a diet comprised of mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, healthy fats, and fish. Healthy fats include monounsaturated fats and are found in foods like fish, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil. Transitioning into a more Mediterranean-based dietary plan can help you increase your overall brain power.[16]

Spinach is a powerful brain food. Eating three or more servings of spinach or other leafy greens like kale each day slows mental decline and increases overall brain function.[17]

Simple sugars, like table sugars and brown sugars, as well as syrupy sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, can have a detrimental effect on the brain. Saturated and trans fats, the kinds of found in red meat and dairy, have a negative effect on your mental level as well as overall health. Enriched, bleached, or refined flour, the flour found in white breads, white rices, and white pastas, also has a poor affect on the brain.[18]

Improve your sleep schedule. Getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night can increase brain power and promote logical thinking. To improve your sleep schedule, have a set bedtime and wake time that you do not deviate from, even on weekends. Stay away from electronic screens close to bedtime. Do not eat heavy meals late at night and work on engaging in a relaxing activity, like reading, in the hour before bed.[19]

Breathe. Breathing increases brain power by increasing oxygen flow in the brain. Practice deep breathing exercises in the morning and before bed. Practice yoga, meditation, Pilates and other activities that focus on healthy breathing patterns.[20]

Exercise frequently. Physical exercise has a profound effect on cognitive abilities. In addition to being great for the body, a regular exercise routine can boost your mind's capacity for logic.

Make exercise a priority. Many people push exercise to the peripheral of their lives, not making the time necessary to go to the gym or go for a run. If you make a schedule for yourself, and stick to it, exercise will eventually feel as vital a part of your routine as brushing your teeth in the morning or showering.[21]

Aerobics seem to have a particularly strong effect on cognitive abilities. Running, jogging, biking, and engaging in workout routines that get the heart pumping 4 or 5 times a week can increase your brainpower.[22]

Spend time in nature. It’s important that you make time to be outdoors in nature on a regular basis. Spending time outside will help you clear your thoughts and ground yourself. Aim to spend at least a couple hours every week in nature. You can go for a walk or hike, fish or hunt, explore the mountains or forest, swim in lakes or the ocean, or simply sit underneath a tree.

Take breaks. People tend to see downtime as an indulgence. However, this is not the case. Taking the occasional break is vital for your brain's ability to process information. Give your brain the occasional mental rest. Have a relaxing ritual you engage in each day. Designate one day a week as your "day off" and take the day to spend time by yourself engaging in leisurely activities you enjoy.[23]

That's right! Mediterranean-based diets are rich in fish, olive oils, and vegetables, all of which have huge benefits for the brain. Following a more Mediterranean-based diet can help to improve your logical thinking and make you feel better! Read on for another quiz question.

False

Nope! While a Mediterranean-based diet isn't necessarily low in fats, it contains good fats, like beans and oils. Fish, vegetables, and other Mediterranean-based foods are full of the vitamins and nutrients we need to feed our brains and our bodies. Try again...

Community Q&A

My boyfriend says I don't think logically, that I'm irrational. How can I change that?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Everyone is irrational in some way. Human beings are by design emotional creatures. If you're out of balance, though, always reacting rather than thinking through things, start practicing taking "breaks" before answering or acting in situations, so that you have time to think about the best way to react.

Be rational and logical when considering decisions. If you're feeling highly emotional at the time, hold off on making any large or important decisions as your emotional state could influence the outcome. On that note, take plenty of time to think deeply and seriously about the consequences of your choices before you make them, weighing the pros and cons - this will help stop you from making any impulsive, emotional choices.

Not necessarily. Even the most logical structure cannot correct factual errors or fill in missing information. Your thoughts can be completely logical given what you know, but that doesn't mean you know everything, or everything you think you know is correct.

My classmates asked me if I am a logical thinker, is that a good thing or not?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

It depends how they say it. If you can sense that they mean the question in a bad way this is, probably the best answer: "I've got more logic than you." That should draw their attention away and realize that you are not a person to be messed with. If you want to be polite then say,"Why do you ask?" It's all up to you to decide which is the best answer for you: the former or latter. If your classmates ask it in a friendly way then give the honest truth. Remember that if you are stuck on a logical question, your answer would prove to your classmates the honest truth you told them. However the question above is probably a good thing, again depending on how they ask. It's your point of view.

As comedienne Lily Tomlin once famously asked, "What is reality but a collective hunch?" If you feel you are not currently in touch with reality, compare your thoughts and feelings with those of as many other people as you can. The process will either confirm your suspicions or comfort you with regard to your grasp on reality.

To think logically, avoid assuming the worst or best outcomes in life, and instead try to step back and look at situations rationally. Also, try not to think about things in black-and-white terms since things are usually more complicated than that. To make it easier to think logically, make sure you're getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night since being tired and groggy makes it hard to be rational. Also, try doing some yoga and breathing exercises every day, which can improve your brain power and help you look at things logically.

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